In this section you will find lots of information about how to petition to bringing a family member or partner to the United States. Please feel free to explore the rest of the site, using the links below, to find out more information.

As the person filing the petition for your loved one, on legal forms, you will be referred to as the “petitioner” and your loved one will be referred to as the “beneficiary”.

With an immigrant visa, your family members are eligible for an adjustment of status as soon as they arrive in the United States. Each classification comes with it’s own restrictions and protocols to follow in order to adjust status and to apply for benefits. To find out more about each category of visa, please explore this page.

One of the major differences between the Immediate Relative and Family Preference categories is that the Family Preference categories have numerical limitations. In other words, even if your loved one is qualified for a visa, he or she must wait for a visa to become available within their specific category and in some cases, for particular countries. This can lead to long delays in processing. The chronological order is created based the date you filed the petition.

Once your citizenship has been conferred, you can submit petitions for your family members and loved ones to join you in the United States. One of the privileges of citizenship is the ability to petition for immediate relatives, like your spouse, unmarried children under 21 years of age, and parents without immigration quota limits. To learn more about the benefits of citizenship and legal permanent residency, please check read more on our "Citizenship" page.

If you are a U.S. citizen, you can petition for a wide variety of family members to join you in the United States:

IR-1: Spouse of a U.S. Citizen

*CR-1: Spouse of a U.S. Citizen (if you have been married for less than two years)

IR-2: Unmarried Child Under 21 Years of Age

IR-5: Parent of a U.S. Citizen who is at least 21 years old

F1: Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and their minor children, if any

F3: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and minor children

F4: Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and minor children, provided the U.S. citizens are at least 21 years of age

If you are a legal permanent, you can petition for a limited variety of family members to join you in the United States: